Modular industrialized building is a construction method that has been gaining popularity in recent years due to its efficiency and speed. This method involves manufacturing building sections in a factory and then assembling them at the construction site. But, how did modular industrialized building originate?
Industrialized Construction
The Industrialization brought about a revolution in the way goods, including buildings, were mass-produced. Henry Ford was a pioneer of mass production. His model incorporated, for the first time, industrial mass production, one of the most significant productivity concepts in modern history. His influence was fundamental to the development and spread of today’s industrialized construction system.
During this period, the idea of using standardized components to build automobiles was transferred to building construction, which helped to consolidate the key concepts of simplicity and transparency of industrialized construction.
Thus, Le Corbusier, famous Swiss architect, was one of the first to defend standardization in construction. He defined housing as La machine à habiter (machine for living), as he believed that architecture should adapt to modern life and the needs of society. In addition, he designed flexible interior spaces capable of adapting to various needs.
The year was 1920, a time when innovative ideas were brewing in the field of architecture. One such idea was conceived by Le Corbusier, who envisioned a housing design that could be mass-produced just like machinery. This led to the birth of the Citröhan House.
It was conceived as a prototype of prefabricated housing, built with industrialized steel and glass components, and intended to be mass replicable. The design was based on a standardized system, where the house presented a compact and highly functional structure, with a design that optimized the interior space and offered great flexibility in its distribution.
It was erected in 1927, in the Weissenhof Colony in Stuttgart, Germany, with the purpose of being part of an architectural exhibition. Conceived as a prototype to represent an innovative vision in architectural design, it is considered the precursor model of modern housing, combining efficiency, standardization and design in an innovative and revolutionary design for its time.
Modular Industrialized Construction
After World War II, modular building experienced a major boost due to the need for reconstruction and the demand for affordable housing. Mass-produced building systems were introduced and new materials and techniques were developed, allowing for greater diversity and sophistication in modular building.
In recent decades, modular technology has evolved and the performance of buildings constructed with this system has increased. An example of this evolution is the «Habitat 67» project, a building that served as the main pavilion for the International World Exposition «Man and his World», held in Montreal.
Habitat 67 raises a reflection on the role and function of architecture in high-density urban environments. Its revolutionary approach is based on an innovative building system composed of three main elements.
First of all, it uses a three-dimensional urban structure that makes the best use of the available space. In addition, it uses specific construction techniques and the prefabrication of prototypical modules, which were mass-produced.
Adaptability is another fundamental aspect of this construction method, as it adjusts to the diverse conditions of the environment where the construction will be carried out.
The modules, built with reinforced concrete, were manufactured on site. To achieve this, an assembly line is established that begins with the casting of the concrete to create each module. Then, the electrical connections, kitchen, bathrooms and windows are installed. Finally, using a crane, each module is moved to its final location in the complex.
Habitat67 is characterized by the use of repetitive elements known as boxes or modules. These modules were meticulously organized to create 15 distinct residential spaces within the complex, which held a total of 158 residences. Each unit ranges in size and configuration, composed from one to eight modules, depending on its typology. The sizes of the apartments range from 60 to 160 m², with a distribution of 1 to 4 bedrooms. In this way, it manages to combine flexibility in the configuration of the dwellings with a solid architectural structure.
Anrobox System
As construction techniques advance, modular building is being pushed as the dominant construction technique in the near future.
These technological advances, together with the interest for the optimization of execution times, as well as for sustainable and efficient construction, present modular construction as one of the most competent options.
These characteristics are the basis on which our modular high-rise building model, Anrobox, is developed.
We have carried out a detailed and standardized design that allows a clean and fast execution, creating valuable spaces from the different modules and their interconnections.
At the same time, Anrobox adds a key particularity: the development of the entire building, including the structure, allows the building to be completely disassembled and reused, extending the useful life of the building and increasing its residual value.
All these practices make Anrobox the most efficient alternative.
Sistema modular ampliable, desmontable y reutilizable, que permite la máxima personalización para crear un futuro a tu medida.